San Diego City Council Votes to Include San Diego Unified School District in New Downtown San Diego Library!

The San Diego City Council endorses plan to include the San Diego Unified School District to lease the sixth and seventh floors of the new Downtown San Diego Central Library located in the East Village/Ballpark District right next to Downtown San Diego Condos in Park Boulevard West and Park Boulevard East.

The City Council voted 5-3 to authorize the mayor’s office to enter into a letter of intent with the San Diego Unified School District. The plan would be for the Unified School District to pay $20 million dollars in bond money from voter approved Proposition to leave the two floors available for the School District that would serve about 400 students.

City Council members Donna Frye, Sherri Lightner and Carl Demaio are questioning the accuracy of the estimated $185 million total cost of the new Downtown San Diego Library. Demaio says “We do not, let me repeat, we do not have the funds available to complete this project”. He says the City is at least $35 million short.

San Diego News Network says that “The City has raised about $37 million from private donations for the new library. A $20 million state grant is also on the table. The bulk of the remaining cost would come from redevelopment money.” There is a lot of work that is still to be done, but Counsilman Kevin Faulconer beleives they should take this to the next step.